Portland Local News

Taser fails to phase man on bath salts

Friday afternoon, East Precinct officers responded to the Best Value Inn, located at 3310 Southeast 82nd Avenue, on the report of an unwanted subject in one of the rooms.

As officers were responding to the scene, they learned that the subject, 31-year-old Randy Craig Sturdevant, had an outstanding parole violation detainer.

Officers arrived and contacted Sturdevant in the doorway of his room. Officers noticed that Sturdevant appeared to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and that he was armed with a metal bar.

Sturdevant was non-complaint with officers' commands to drop the bar and instead tried to shut the door and jump out a second story window. Officers began to struggle with Sturdevant and during the struggle he was Tased. Sturdeveant fought through multiple Taser cycles and continued to fight with officers until he was taken into custody. Ultimately it took five officers to get Sturdevant handcuffed.

Sturdevant was transported to a Portland hospital for treatment to what appeared to be a drug-induced psychosis. Officers later learned that Sturdevant was under the influence of "bath salts."

Several officers received minor injuries during the struggle to get Sturdevant into custody.

After his release from the hospital, Sturdevant was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on his parole violation detainer as well as charges of Escape in the Third Degree and Resisting Arrest.